Fork-grid clearer for looms.



- v M. ARMSTBAD. FORK GRID GLEAREB FOR LQOMS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6",1910.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

. UNITED sT Es PATENT onnron MICHAEL J. ARMSTEAD, or LowELn'.MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'TO DRAPER COM- mum, on HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS,A CORPORATION or MAINE.

FORK GRID CLEARER FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MioHAEL J. ARMs'rnAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Lowell, county of Middlesex, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fork-Grid Clearers forLooms, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the'drawingrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of means for clearingautomatically the fork-grid of a loom of any lint, waste or the likewhich would tend to clog the same and prevent the proper action of thefilling-fork. If the grid becomes clogged the fork may be tilted forseveral picks even though'the filling be absent, resulting in theproduction of faulty cloth.

In the present embodiment of my invention the clearer is mounted on afixed part of the loom in a permanent position, and provided withupright clearing members which traverse the spaces between the bars ofthe fork-grid as the lay beats up, and again as the lay swings back, Thelower part of the clearing members have an attached forwardly extendedportion which traverses the usual transverse recess in the lay made forthe reception of the fork-tines on the beat-up, such extension servingnot only to hold the filling up in position to be engaged by the forkbut also to remove any fluff or lint which might collect on theforktines.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a sufficient portion of aloom, with one em bodiment of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is afront elevation of a portion of the lay and fork-grid, with the clearer;Fig. 3 is a top plan view, detached; Fig. 4: is a side elevationthereof.

The lay A having the grating or forkgrid B thereon adjacent the innerend of the shuttle-box C, the transverse recess D in the race plate ofthe lay, for the reception of the tines of the filling-fork E on thebeat-up, and the fork-slide F, Fig. 1, may be and are all of well-knownconstruction and operate in a manner familiar to those skilled in theart.

A bracket-like arm 1 is fixedly attached I by bolts2 to the inside ofthe loonrside Gr, Fig. l, and is extended forward behind the fork-grid,the front end of the arm being laterally widened to form a flat,upwardly inclined support 3 having longitudinal and parallel grooves toreceive the rear ends 4 of an elongated and slightly curved loop 5. Saidends 4 are tightly held on the grooved support 3 by a retaining or capplate 6, se cured to the support by a suitable bolt 7, said plate havingformed upon it a thin upright pin or blade 8, extending above and belowthe plate and projecting beyond its front end, the blade being locatedcentrally of the plate. This blade forms the central clearing member andextends through the central opening of the fork-grid B slightly beyondits front face when the lay is back, as shown in Fig. 1, but beingfixedly supported behind the grid permits free move-' ment of the latterwith the lay. Between the loop-like extension 5 and the clamped ends 4the wire is bent to form upright portions 9, 9, one at each side of theblade 8, parallel thereto and in the upright plane of its front edge,said parts 9 constituting the outside clearer members, and so located asto pass through the side openings of the grid, as shown in Fig. 2.

The portions 10 of the wire loop rigidly connect the parts 9 with theclamped ends 4:, making an acute angle with the former, Figs. 1 and 4,the forward extension 5 of the loop traversing the recess D in the lay.By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the forward end of theextension 5 just clears the tips of the tines of the filling-fork E, sothat if any lint collects thereupon it will be brushed off by suchextension. The lower ends of the clearing members 8, 9 project into therecess D well below the race way of the lay, to prevent any possibilityof the filling passing thereunder, and as the lay beats up the extension5 will support the filling in position to best engage the tines of thefork to tilt the latter. As the lay beats up the clearingmemberstraverse the spaces between the bars of the grid B and remove anywaste or lint which may have collected thereon, and as the lay swingsback such clearing members again traverse the grid, but from back tofront, so that the clearing action takes place on each stroke of thelay, the clearing members being long enough to sweep through the greaterpart of the length of the grid openings. This serves to maintain thegrid free from any accumulation of foreign matter which would tend toclog it, hence there is no obstruction to the proper action of thefilling-fork.

The e er i o simp nstru tion, it

- fere in any way with the flight of the shuttle, for when the shuttlepasses the grid the latter is in front of the clearing members, as willbe apparent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letent is 1. In a loom, a lay having a fork-grid, a series ofupright, stationary clearing members adapted to traverse thegrid-openings as the lay swings forward and back, a bracket-arm fixed onthe loom-side and having a flattened forward end behind the grid, and aplate to clamp the outer clearing members on said flattened end of thebracket, the center clearing member being mounted on the plate.

2. In ajloom, a lay having a transverse recess in its race way, afork-grid mounted on the lay in the recess at its rear end, a series ofupright clearing members adapted to traverse the grid openings as thelay swings forward and back, a stationary support for the clearingmembers, behind the lay, and a loop-like extension projecting frontwardfrom the lower ends of the clearing members and traversing the recess inthe lay.

3. In a 100111, a lay having a transverse recess in its raceway, afork-grid mounted on the lay in the recess at its rear end, a fixedlymounted bracket behind the lay and having a fiat, longitudinally groovedfront end, a cover-plate clamped thereon and provided with an upright,blade-like clearing member to pass through the center opening of thegrid, and a wire loop having its ends clamped on the grooved end of thebracket by the cover-plate and bent to form two up turned portionsconstituting clearing members to pass through the outer openings in thegrid.

4. In a loom, a lay having a transverse recess in its raceway, afork-grid mounted on the lay in the recess at its rear end, a series ofupright clearing members adapted to traverse the grid openings as thelay swings forward and back, a supporting bracket fixed on the loom-sidebehind the lay, means to fixedly connect the clearing members with thefront end of the bracket, and an extension projecting frontward from thelower part of the clearing members and traversing the recess in the lay,to support the filling in front of the grid when the lay heats up andadapted to remove lint or Waste from the tines of the filling-fork.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL J. ARMSTEAD.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. MURPHEY, ROBERT J. CRowLEY.

